In my last post I explained that every food producer has jumped on the whole grain food wagon and advertised the ingredients of their packaged food as whole grain. Sometimes it is not quite as it seems. For instance, "made with whole grain" may describe a food product with only a tiny bit of whole grain in the box. Other labels such as wheat, or multi grain or stone ground all sound very healthy but none of them guarantee whole grain content.
In early civilizations everyone ate whole wheat. Today, refined wheat is considered a sign of the advancement of our civilization and whole wheat is considered crude or primitive. Some brands are made of white, bleached wheat with molasses and other browning agents added. In other words, it is important to read labels to find out if the flour used in these products is processed or not. No matter what is added, processed wheat and vitamins or processed wheat and minerals, does not equal the nutritional values found in the germ and bran of wheat. It is an excellent source of vitamin b and for dietary fiber. While products like pasta and rice mixes have added whole grain products, it is important to keep an eye on sodium and fat levels.
Many other grains are used for bread and pasta but wheat is popular because it contains glutens which cause bread to rise. Some people have Celiac disease and are allergic to glutens. Quinoa and Amaranth are two grains that were part of ancient civilizations and have been given a rebirth in our grocery stores. Quinoa is among the healthiest of the whole grains but you can also try others including amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rise and even corn.
Just make sure that you and your family avoid the junk foods that are labeled because a cookie made with whole wheat still has too much fat and sugar. The whole wheat does not make them any healthier.
The evidence is ample: Whole grains are important because the quality of the carbohydrates you eat is as important as the quantity. Besides, eating shoe instead of refined grains tends to substantially lower total cholesterol. What is also good news is that those who averaged 2 to 3 servings of whole grains a day were 30 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains.
I'd love to hear about your ideas for including whole grains in your nutrition. Type your ideas in the comment section and submit. I'll share them with the other readers.
To your success at balancing your health.
Ruthan Brodsky
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